ntwfrpsfandomcom-20200214-history
Shadowkyne
Shadowkyne are large, sapient lizard-like creatures native to the unnamed region that The Town takes place in. They are characterized by their sleek black bodies with wide, round, white eyes; long, prehensile tails; and ability to camouflage themselves completely by manipulating light. Many shadowkyne are believed to live in the area surrounding Melville, particularly within the forest. The species was created by Sporty, whose primary character in the roleplay was the shadowkyne NPC Kree. Natural History Shadowkyne are a result of some sort of magical mutation caused by Edward Melville's magic bombs during the war that desolated the planet and prompted the founding of Melville. However, it has not been determined precisely what their precursor species actually was -- while certain aspects of their body structure, as mentioned previously and further described below, resemble lizards or wingless dragons, other aspects are more mammalian. It is believed that shadowkyne achieved their high level of intelligence and self-awareness either with or shortly after their transformation. Because this has only given them a few centuries' worth of development, those shadowkyne who do not live with or are otherwise influenced by human civilization have a very simple culture of small hunter-gatherer tribes with few if any tools. Morphology Shadowkyne have long, slender, flexible bodies. They have long, narrow, canine-like snouts and large eyes and ears, and their tails taper gradually. They are primarily quadrupedal, and all four legs end in clawed feet. Their forefeet are more flexible, with four digits each including opposable thumbs, while their hind feet have three digits each. In addition, they have short, curved claws on their elbows and "heels." Overall, their limbs better resemble those of a dragon, canine or feline than a lizard in terms of relative length and general shape. Though they are capable climbers, their heavy tails make them better suited for running. Adult shadowkyne are about four to five feet long from the snout to the base of the tail, and their slender tails are about as long as or a little longer than the rest of the body. They stand a foot to a foot and a half high on all four, but can also balance on their hind legs for short periods of time if need be. There is no significant size difference between males and females, and in general no sexual dimorphism beyond their reproductive structures and differences in courting behavior. With extremely rare exception, all shadowkyne are black or very dark grey in color. This allows them to readily absorb light through their skin and to more easily blend into the shadows while hiding or at night. Their skin is thick and rubbery, without fur or scales. In contrast to their skin, their eyes are almost pure white and very wide. It is theorized that the size and striking appearance of the eyes may deter predators when a shadowkyne fails to fully camouflage in a similar way to false eyespots on some other animals; this is however unclear. The color of the eyes seems to be the result of a thin magical film or weak but constant "output" of their light-camouflage over the eyes, as they have excellent vision despite the lack of visible pupils and normal camouflaging causes the eyes to change color while the rest of the body emits colored light. Camouflaging Shadowkyne have a very peculiar method of blending into the surrounding environment by absorbing and later releasing small amounts of light. They can manipulate the color and intensity of this light in order to perfectly blend in to the background; for example, a shadowkyne hiding in a thickly wooded area will release just enough light, in greens and browns, to meet the low light level of the area, while one trying to remain unseen while crossing a town square will release emit stronger light in the various colors of the pavement beneath, moving to match the surroundings as the shadowkyne moves. Because of both the sheer precision needed for this type and degree of camouflage and its apparent but inexplicable (likely impossible) methodology of directly storing light, it is very likely that this camouflaging ability is at least partially controlled by a form of magic inherent to the species. Behavior This section is going to be really cool and include a sub-section about Melvillean shadowkyne language, so that EVERYONE can talk like a shadowkyne! \o/ However, for now it is just a filler because Sporty needs a break from writing, whoops Category:The Town